


Keep Moving Forward

by Rainbow_Transform



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animagus, Harry Potter was Adopted by Other(s), Harry Potter was Raised by Other(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2018-10-20 17:39:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10667574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Transform/pseuds/Rainbow_Transform
Summary: Instead of Dumbledore leaving Harry with the Dursleys, Minerva takes him and raises him as her own. He isn't pampered, but he's loved and that's enough.





	1. Just Give Me The Boy, Albus

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, my first Harry Potter story. Enjoy

**Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter. Wish I did *sniffle***

 

**Epilogue: Just give me the boy, Albus!**

 

Minerva never thought she’d have to raise Harry Potter; the Boy Who Lived. But she refuses to allow Albus Dumbledore to just set the poor boy where  _ Muggles  _ roamed. She didn’t have anything against Muggles, of course. But just… to leave the Boy Who Lived; the savior of their world, without a clue on who he really was? Here? Where his cousin would probably kill him within forty-eight hours. 

 

Harry was so small in Hagrid’s arms. Minerva bit her lip for a moment before whirling on Albus. “Give him to me!” She said and Albus looked shocked. “Minerva,” he said gently. “It is so much better for him to stay here. He’d get special treatment in our world, Professor.” Minerva shook her head. 

 

“I’m a stern woman,” she hissed. “Just let me raise James and Lily’s son.  _ Please _ , Albus. I won’t spoil him, like Diggory would. I won’t even try to  _ convert _ him like Malfoy would.  _ Just give me the boy, Albus _ !” Dumbledore paused for a moment before turning to look at her quietly.

 

“When terms start, Professor, I’ll think perhaps I’d rather like to see a kitten roaming the halls,” Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. Dumbledore gently set the baby in Minerva’s arms. She kept the child close. “I suppose the letter should be changed.” Hagrid said, a huge smile breaking across his face.

 

“Ah, yes!” Dumbledore sat down and reopened the envelope, taking out ink and a quill (from where, Minerva never knows); and then pulled his wand out, erasing the ink already dried. Dipping the quill in the ink, Dumbledore began to write. “Professor, don’t you need to go home? Hagrid, please you too. I may be an old man, but I haven’t lost my memories.” The twinkle seemed to shine just a bit brighter. Hagrid left with the roar of Sirius’ motorcycle.

 

“Go on. Petunia needs to learn Lily has died. Oh, Minerva?” She turned around for a moment. “Don’t expect Severus to go easy.” Minerva’s expression frosted over. “I never did,” she said and Albus nodded. 

 

With a faint  _ pop _ Minerva was gone. And so was baby Harry. All there was left was an old man with a long beard, and parchment being written on. When he finished, Dumbledore placed the letter through their mailbox; and also had given the date for James and Lily’s funeral. He doubts they’d show up.

 

Mr and Mrs Dursley are perfectly normal, thank you very much.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys really surprised me with Kudos and stuff. I really didn't expect it. *rubs back of neck* Thanks, it was really appreciated, though. :D

Chapter One: Eleven Years Later

  
Minerva's "children" were usually eleven through seventeen Hogwarts students. Not one-year-old babies. But she thought she'd done a pretty good darn job raising Harry Potter, based on his skill level - and his brains. "I'd gather you're going into Ravenclaw," Minerva said, as Harry sat down at the breakfast table and placed bacon and eggs on his table. "Probably," Harry murmured, eyes shifted toward window. "Where's Wanda?" Minerva glanced over. "Wanda had to go to work." Harry deflated a little bit. "I wanted her here when the owl came." Minerva chuckled. "Trust me, she didn't want to miss it. But she had to." Harry sighed.

  
"I know. But it just feels wrong to open the letter without her, you know?" Minerva nodded, remembering how excited her wife was when she'd came home with this magical baby.

  
" When do you think it'll arrive?" He asked, cutting his egg and Minerva peered over her glasses at him. "Sixteen minutes," she said and Harry paused. "Ten," he argued and she raised an eyebrow. "Care to make a friendly bet, Harry," she asked and Harry nodded.

  
"Extra curfew time if I'm right," he said and she nodded. "Creative. No going on the rounds for a week if I'm right." Harry's eyes widened. "Minerva!" He cried. She just stared at him. "C'mon," he murmured before nodding. "Deal, then!" Minerva's eye twinkled just slightly. She glanced over at Harry, categorizing what she saw. Temper like Lily; looks like James; eyes like Lily's; brains like both of their parents; James's bravery; Lily's caution; James's stupidly; Lily's love; James' unkempt black hair (even she tried to help it; it couldn't be helped).

  
Five minutes later, the Hogwarts owl knocked on the window. With a jump, Harry ran towards it, eyes bright. Darn. I guess ten o'clock will have to do, Minerva mentally sighed as Harry tore open his letter; reading the words he'd read over Minerva's shoulder years ago and whooping with excitement. "See? See, Minny? Ten o'clock!" Harry cried dancing around the kitchen. "Harry," Minerva reminded and Harry sat down.

  
"Just remember, when we're doing our rounds we can't just play, Harry. We've actually got to look for people." Harry shrugged. "It's funner to play; not get people in trouble." Minerva frowned just slightly. _That's Sirius's influence. Even when he was a year old, the Marauders influenced him,_ she thought. Even if they were so good at hiding; Minerva was the one who had to tell them how to find the book to becoming Anaimgus.

  
"We've got to get to Diagon Ally soon," Minerva said, reading over the books. "We've got most of the books here; but we need to grab you a wand. No, you can't use baby wand." Minerva glanced over where Harry sat with the (how do Muggles put it?) child safety wand. "That wand just lets you open jars and say the simplest spells. You've got to actually get a real wand. One for real spells. Such as..." Minerva paused and Harry filled in. "Expelliarmus?" Minerva nodded. "Excellent," she said before gathering up the dirty plates. "Table," she ordered and Harry began collecting the bacon and egg plates. 

  
Setting them on the counter, he grabbed some containers and scraped the eggs inside before finishing off the bacon. "We'll go today. Maybe get you some new robes." Minerva decided, beginning to wash the dishes without magic (she wasn't too busy, and Harry still wasn't dressed). "Go," Minerva said pretending to kick at Harry. "Get dressed and when I'm done washing these we're going. We're Apparating. No Floo Network! Remember what happened last time?"

  
Harry shouted from upstairs "I was four!" Minerva chuckled and shook her head.


	3. Chapter 3

Minerva normally hates leaving Harry alone for the time, but she has to go get him a pet for Hogwarts; and he had to get his robe fitted. So, she allows him to go in (after she’s watched him take through the back, before turning.

 

She thinks he’d like an owl.

* * *

 

Harry sees Draco before Draco sees him. But when he does, Draco’s mouth is moving asking if Harry’s going to Hogwarts. Harry says that he is.

 

“What house do you think you’re going to be in?”

 

It’s a tough question. Harry thinks it’s Ravenclaw because he’s been raised by Minerva. Wanda thinks Hufflepuff becuase Harry’s got a huge heart. (The snake in the attic says Slytherin, because only Slytherin can speak to snakes.) 

 

He knows that Gryffindor is a good house - it’s Minerva’s house - but Harry’s brain-smart. He’s not brash and often thinks more of others than himself. 

 

“I don’t know,” he settles for and Draco yammers on about being in Slytherin, because Slytherin is where his family was from. 

 

“Don’t you want to break the cycle?” Harry asks and Draco’s color drains. 

 

“No,” he snaps. But there’s fear in his eyes and Harry can basically smell the regret pouring out Draco. 

 

Harry thinks Draco does. (But his father’s beat into him that Draco can’t not be in Slytherin. It’d be such a shame. Harry thinks Draco would do quite well in Gryffindor.)

* * *

 

Minerva arrives just in time to see Draco Malfoy running after his father in a senseless fashion. She enters the store, and greets Harry who is frowning.

 

“Draco thinks if he’s in Slytherin his father will be proud of him.” Harry says as a way of greeting. Minerva doesn’t know how he got Malfoy to open up about his family; but Minerva isn’t going to question it.

 

“Lucius Malfoy only cares for himself,” Minerva tells Harry. “It’s a sad thing, because when his son was born, he seems the happiest. Now? Now he’s just an empty shell of anger and hopelessness.” 

* * *

 

It’s nearly three o’clock when Minerva and Harry finish shopping. Harry had an owl ( _“What do you need a cat for?”_ ) and the books that they don’t have at their home is in Harry’s backpack that Wanda had given him years earlier when he was still going to grade school ( _“It’s much easier this way.”_ ) 

 

They are walking away from Ollivander’s ( _“For Merlin’s sake, Ollivander, just let him try the wands.”_ ) when Harry turns to look at his mother-figure. “What did he mean?” He asks her. “When he talks about my mother and father? Why’d you tell him to quiet down? You tell me things about my parents.” 

 

Minerva stares at Harry. “You don’t need that foolishness in your head.” She tells him. “Ollivander tells stories; some of them are real, some aren’t. You can’t listen to everything he says.” (It pains her to say these things about her old friend; but Harry isn’t ready to know about certain things yet.)

 

She urges him to grab onto her and he does so quickly and quietly. They Apparate out of Diagon Ally. 


	4. Chapter 4

Harry doesn’t know how long it actually takes for his surrogate mother to remember that Harry doesn’t  _ have  _ to stay with her. But she’s running around folding things into Harry’s trunk, asking if he’s got his wand. (Basically being a mother hen.)

 

Harry and even Wanda has to assure Minerva that he was fine. He’s a big kid, eleven years old. Harry even puffed out his chest and, breathlessly, stated “I can take care of myself.”

 

(Everyone laughed.)

 

Harry doesn’t take the train to Hogwarts. Minerva takes him with her on her way (since teachers need to get there early.) 

 

“There’s a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Harry. I advise you to stay away for as much as possible. I don’t trust him.”

 

“Dumbledore trusts him.”

 

“I don’t think so. Remember how his eyes twinkle?” Harry nods. “Well, when he was speaking of Quirrel, no twinkle. Not even a glimmer. Hard, cold, calculating. Kinda like when the war with You-Know-Who was going on.” 

 

“Do you think we can do the thing?” Harry asks. Minerva shakes her head. “They know me,” she starts slowly. “But they know me, too,” Harry points out. “I’ve been there since five years, Minerva.” 

 

“Correct,” Minerva says. “But  _ Quirrel _ doesn’t know.”

 

“Minerva, aren’t you suppose to be the buzzkill?”

 

“No, that’s Severus Snape.”

 

“But just because…”

 

“Because he has flaws, Harry. Some are more… able-to-be seen than others.” Minerva’s expression darkened. “It was a sad time, Harry.” Her mind seems to be elsewhere for a moment before Minerva snaps back, and gives a sly smile to Harry.

 

“Let’s just keep this our secret.” She says and Harry agrees. 

* * *

 

From the stories Harry heard, years and years ago, Minerva gave him the Animagus potion in his cup. He’d tried to spit it out, but Minerva gave one of her hard stares and Harry drank it. 

 

“She wanted it earlier,” Wanda had explained. Minerva had denied it. 

 

“I wanted it as quickly as physically possible. Wanda couldn’t take care of a child! She didn’t have enough paternity leave; and I was always away.”

 

“Why didn’t you take Harry with you?” Wanda would tease. (The game they’d always play.)

 

“Because a baby has no place at Hogwarts,” Minerva would say, not seeing the mimicking done by both child and spouse. 

 

“I stayed home with him for four years, Minerva,” Wanda said. 

 

“Aren’t you glad you didn’t have to watch him anymore?” Minerva would ask and Wanda would scowl. 

 

“No!” She’d fake-exclaim and they’d pretend to get into a fight. Harry remembered the fake-fights and the real-fights. He’d known which is which. 

 

But after he’d become a freakin’  _ kitten _ (seriously?) Minerva took him to Hogwarts. They’d go around the hall every so often after school ends trying (and failing, thanks to Harry’s playful streak) to catch students out of bed. 

 

Harry mostly stayed in his cat form when Minerva wasn’t around, so people began referring to him as the “Hogwarts Stray”. Someone even names him “Jade” before Minerva explained that Harry was a boy kitten. (The boy blushed, and renamed Harry “Teal”).

 

He’d even followed two red-haired twins for a little while. They’d throw scraps of meat, tuna, fish, sweets. Anything out of their pocket to try to get Harry to stop. Once, they’d even ran away and Harry slunk away, angry but also upset. (He’d found them, later, out of bed.)

 

He’d streaked in the opposite direction and ran laps around his foster mother, mewling and trying to get her attention to ignore the red-heads.

 

(The twins played with him after that.)

* * *

 

Harry was awoken by Minerva, leaning over him and shaking. “Wake up, Harry. We’re here.” Harry looked blearily out the window at Hogwarts and gathered his things. “Where’re’m I gonna go?” He mumbled. 

 

“You’re staying with me, just until we get you sorted into a Hogwarts House.” Minerva says. Harry mumbles an unintelligent response and lets his feet carry him to the place where he’d always know. Dropping his trunk, and jumping onto the bed, he wriggles out of his clothes and under the covers.

 

Minerva shuts off the light. “Sweet dreams, Harry.” She says before closing the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets sorted into a house. Sort of?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I head cannon Fred and George are like, really nice to animals. Also, head cannon that Minerva and Harry still sleep together in their animals forms and Mrs Norris joins them every so often. 
> 
> Also, I believe that Ron would have been written so much better than what JK wrote him as (I love you, JK, but still. Come on. Every book was basically Ron getting angry at Harry/or Hermonie and things. So, rest assured, he is not going to be like that. Call him OOC, but its an alternate universe so I don't know, ignore cannon.

The actual first-day-of-school doesn’t work as well as Minerva thought. Peeves constantly began to cause trouble (and Harry would help him, _sometimes_ ) (Okay, all the time.)

 

He received more McGonagall glares than he’d ever had before. Some of them weren’t justified, though. They really weren’t! Honestly! (Okay, probably not.) He’d just transformed into his Animagus form (he’s still a _kitten_!) and was moving into the Great Hall where the other students were seated, and people were shouting for him.

 

“Teal, Teal!” George and Fred Weasley called and Harry jumped onto George's lap, purring.

 

“Teal? Oh, why, Teal? The hurt! The embarrassment!” Fred yelled, catching the attention of all the other students. They all snickered, and Harry stretched a paw out to touch Fred’s leg. Fred began sobbing, yelling about how he knew Teal still loved him. Minerva wandered by in her own cat form, and sighed. George and Fred placed poker faces on and Harry just looked at his surrogate mother.

 

She jumped onto Fred’s lap who’s eyes widened. Minerva sat down and stared at Harry, who looked back with bright green eyes. Minerva suddenly lunged forward, causing George to shriek and Fred to fall and grabbed Harry by the scruff of his neck. She began carrying him outside and Harry yowled and shrieked with anger (but also, a little happiness.) George screamed about how Minerva was stealing Teal; Fred shouting about how this was war.

 

Minerva didn’t pay them any attention. (Though, Harry felt a small twitch of her mouth, trying not to smile.)

* * *

 

She’d dropped him right outside Hogwarts’ first year doors. Harry and her both transformed back and she looked at him, eyes narrowed.

 

“Blend in when I bring them.” She says. “Make friends. It’ll be fun, won’t it?” Harry shrugged, suddenly nervous.

 

“Minerva? What House do you think I’ll be in?”

 

She doesn’t say anything for a moment before turning and smiling at him. “I don’t know,” she says. “But I know you’re going to be great.” Harry hums.

 

“Okay.” Harry says. “Okay.” Minerva repeats, and then Hagrid knocks and Minerva opens the door.

* * *

 

He meets many people, but his first connection is with the red-haired boy and buck-toothed girl. Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Harry thought they’d be good friends, if Ron and Hermione weren’t going to argue. (They were, Harry knows. They’re going to end up together.)

 

They are placed in the room to wait, and stew because that’s what they always did. _“We have to get the Sorting Hat, and the stool. We also have to make sure our first years work themselves up. That’s the best way the Sorting Hat can get their results.”_  Minerva told Harry, once, when he was small.

 

But now they were here. Soon, Harry knew they’d come back. And then he’d be sorted into a House and they’d be _fine_. No matter the House, Harry knew he’d still want Ron and Hermione as his friends. (Even if he’s in Slytherin which isn’t a bad House! He knows it isn’t, but he’s always scared of it. Some Slytherins liked to kick cats. So did some of the other House, though.)

 

But not all of them. Others would try to patch Harry up, and he’d allow it. He wouldn’t mind having those people back to help him; they’d be fine. But, for now, he’d be happy with whatever House he’s in.

* * *

 

He doesn’t get _a_ House. The Sorting Hats shouts out Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, _and_ Ravenclaw. Harry’s in all four houses and he doesn’t know what to do. Everyone is staring at him but, then he just sighs, and gets off the hat.

 

“Thank you,” he tells the Hat, and then begins making his way down. He eyes the tables, everyone’s bated breath. They want him to choose a house since the Hat can’t.

 

“I’m not choosing,” he says suddenly. “I’m going to be in all four.” Everyone goes crazy.

 

(Minerva’s lips twitch. He knows he made the right choice.)

* * *

 

He sleeps in the Gryffindor dormitory that night. The next morning, he puts on his clothes, brushes his teeth, and tries to fix his hair before giving up. He’s earlier than the other kids, despite getting to bed at almost eleven o’clock. He transforms into Teal, and begins his way to Minerva’s room.

 

She keeps the door open for him, and he curls up next to her own Animagus form. Her tails wraps around his body, and she purrs. Mrs Norris sits at the edge of the bed, both far and near both of the humans.

* * *

 

He sits up, eyes perked, as the Weasley Twin’s voice flow through the halls. “We got Potter,” they sing. “Just like our other Houses. Guess we’ve got to share!” They’re screeching it. Harry streaks out of Minerva’s room and wraps around Fred’s leg. “Hello, Teal,” George says.

 

“Guess what? We’ve got Harry Potter in our house.” Fred exclaims. “But so does the rest of Hogwarts,” George says.

 

“But at least he’s going to be in our House at _times_.” Fred argues and George nods. “At least we get him,” he says. George picks up Harry, and places him against his shoulder like a baby. “You think Mum’s going to make Teal another sweater?” Harry perks up. He wants another sweater. They’re comfy.

 

“Probably,” Fred says. They begins walking toward the Great Hall and Harry just shrugs mentally and keeps his head against George’s shoulder. (He thinks they’ve all grown rather attached to each other.)

 

Fred “kicks” open the door, and shouts “We’ve got Teal!” The Hall erupts into sudden noise and Harry’s ears lay flat against his back.

 

“Teal?” A few first years shout and George holds Harry up like in “The Lion King,” presenting him.

 

“He’s been with us forever!” George says cheerfully before Minerva’s _there_ , in front of them.

 

“See, children, this is Professor McGonagall.” Fred explains. “We _think_ that Teal’s a stray she adopted a while ago. She’s very protective. Literally stole him yesterday.”

 

Harry squirms. George sets him down, and both cats begin walking out of the Great Hall. “Come back later, Teal!” Angelina calls, and Harry stops, and looks back for a moment, and meows.

 

Then, he turns around and runs to catch up to Minerva.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Until next time, my faithful Potterheads/readers!
> 
> ^.^


End file.
